OTRAS LENGUAS
English is also... "Cockney"
D
ICEN que para ser un verdadero londinense o lo que es lo
mismo un "Cockney" tienes que haber nacido cerca de
Cheapside, en lo que la gente llama "The City of London" y
desde tu casa poder oír las campanas de St. Mary le Bow.
El término "Cockney" o "cock's egg" procede del siglo XIV y los
campesinos lo aplicaban a la gente nacida en Londres por su gran
ingenio. Actualmente en una parte de Londres, sus habitantes usan
con orgullo este calificativo "Cockney Pride".
Es en la parte Este de Londres, conocida como "East End"
donde se agrupan mas hablantes "Cockney", un dialecto del Inglés,
informal y coloquial propio de grupos sociales distintos y no necesariamente establecidos en una única región o zona. Estos grupos,
principalmente jóvenes adolescentes, lo usan como seña de identidad y de aceptación al grupo. Incluso aunque fueras inglés tendrías
muchas dificultades de entender una conversación entre dos personas "Cockney", especialmente por su pronunciación.
Existen dos variedades de "Cockney" conocidas como "Rhyming Slang" y "Back Slang". Ambas se usan con bastante frecuencia en las conversaciones diarias.
El "Cockney Back Slang" lo utilizan principalmente comerciantes y vendedores en los mercadillos. Uno de estos mercados de fruta y verdura es el de "Spitalfields". Este dialecto consiste en hablar al revés, pronunciando las palabras de
atrás hacia delante. Así consiguen que nadie entienda lo que realmente les cuestan los productos y por cuánto pueden
venderlos.
El "Cockney Rhyming Slang" es el más usado y más conocido de los dos. Este dialecto apareció por primera vez en
la época Victoriana como un idioma secreto utilizado por los ladrones para engañar a la ley y despistar a las autoridades. Hoy en día todo el mundo lo usa, y lo hace en cualquier sitio y en cualquier ocasión, en Gran Bretaña y en América
o en Australia, en el cine o en la televisión, en el trabajo o en el "pub" en las horas de descanso. La realidad es que no
sólo se usa en East End de Londres, sino cada día más, y se inventan nuevas expresiones. Algunas de estas expresiones tienen nombre propio, como Rosie Lee -una adivinadora-, que a veces acortan rompiendo la rima para la cual fueron pensados...
Como decía anteriormente... ahora ya no son sólo los jóvenes quienes dicen
Your mother is on the dog and bone. (phone)
Have you cleaned the apples and pears?. (stairs )
l'd like a Rosie Lee, please. (tea )
You are the apple of my minee pies, (eyes)
Dad is having a bo-peep. (sleep )
Si os apetece disfrutar un rato aprendiendo inglés, intentad descubrir lo que la
siguiente conversación quiere decir.
"Hallo Fred. Come and have a cup of Rosie. It's on the Cain and Able. But wipe
your plates of meat because Mary's just cleaned the Rory O'More. She's up the
apples and pears having a bo-peep."
Si queréis seguir disfrutando aún más -el saber no ocupa lugar- os invito a que
leáis las expresiones que han encontrado vuestras compañeras Sofía, Marta y
Elena y Francesca Hodge, (nuestra auxiliar de conversación para este curso 2004
- 2005 ).
Cockney Rhyming Slang
BY SOFÍA GARCÍA & MARTA GALÁN
Adam and Eve - Rhyming Slang for "believe" (creer).
Apple core - Rhyming Slang for "score" (puntuación)
Apples and pears - Rhyming Slang for "stairs" (escaleras)
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OTRAS LENGUAS
Baby giraffe - Rhyming Slang for "half ( medio/a)
Barnet fair - Rhyming Slang for "hair" (pelo)
Battle cruiser - Rhyming Slang for "boozer" (pub)
Bernie Flint - Modern Rhyming Slang for "skint" (sin dinero)
Bird - Probably the most common slang term for woman/girl/girlfriend (mujer, chica, novia)
Blower - Slang for "telephone" (telefono)
Boat Race - Rhyming Slang for "face" (cara)
Bobble Hat and Scarf - Modern Rhyming Slang for" laugh" (risa)
Bo Peep - Rhyming Slang for" sleep" (dormir)
Brahms and Liszt - Rhyming Slang for "pissed" (bebido-borracho)
Bread Knife - Rhyming Slang for " wife" ( esposa)
Brown Bread - Rhyming Slang for "dead" (muerto)
Butchers - Rhyming Slang, short for "butchers hook"meaning "look"
Chas'n Dave - Modern Rhyming Slang for "shave" (afeitar)
China - Rhyming Slang, short for "china plate", "mate" ( companero)
Claire Rayner's - Modern Rhyming Slang for "trainers" (deportivas)
Dicky (dirt) - Rhyming Slang for "shirt" (falda)
Dog and Bone -Rhyming Slang for "phone" (telefono)
Mince Pies - Rhyming Slang for "eyes" (ojos)
Mutt'n Jeff- Ryming Slang for "deaf (sordo)
Mystic Meg(s) - Modern Rhyming Slang for "leg(s)" (pierna/s)
Lady Godiva - Rhyming Slang for fiver, "five pounds" (cinco libras)
Lonel Blair's - Modern Rhyming Slang for "flairs" (large trousers)
Loaf of bread - Rhyming Stand for "head" (cabeza)
Rabbit and pork - Rhyming Slang for "talk" (hablar)
Radio Rental - Modern Rhyming Slang for "mental" (loco)
Rosie Lee - Rhyming Slang for "tea" (te)
Syrup of figs - Rhyming Slang for "wig" (peluca)
Brass (nail) - Rhyming Slang for "tail" (cola)
Tea Leaf - Rhyming Slang for "thief (ladron)
Thrupenny Bits - Rhyming Slang for "tits" (paros)
Tin Bath - Rhyming Slang for "laughf
Tin Tack - Rhyming Slang for "sack" (saco)
Todd - Rhyming Slang for "own" (propio)
Trouble and Strife - Rhyming Slang for "wife"(esposa)
Two 'n' eight - Rhyming Slang for "state" (estado)
Gregory Peck - Modern Rhyming Slanfg for "neck" (cuello)
Salmon and Trout - Rhyming Slang for "snout" (hocico)
Scooby Doo - Modern Rhyming Slang for "clue" (pista)
Sexton Blake - Rhyming Slang for "fake" (falsificacion)
Shebert dab - Modern Rhyming Slang for "cab" (taxi)
Skin diver - Modern Rhyming Slang for "fiver" (cinco dolares)
Steffi (graff) - Modern Rhyming Slang for "laugh" (sonrisa)
Jam jar - Rhyming Slang for "car" (coche)
Half mast - Rhyming Slang for "pinch" (pellizco)
American Slang
BY HELENA PEREZ
What would you answer if someone asked you: "Did you have a five finger discount for that ice?" You might answer:
"No, I paid some dead presidents for it but at least I didn't get pep." Or you could answer:
"No, I paid US paper money for it, but at least I didn't get beat up."
Both answers would be correct, and they would also be correct to answer the next question:
"Did you steal those diamonds?"
The first question and the first answer are written in hip hop slang, the second answer and the second question are
written in normal, every day English. Everything is correct from the "talking" point of view, though some people will feel
offended if you talk to them in hip hop slang.
The word slang means, literally, the vocabulary a group of people who live in the same place or have the same job or
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listen to the same music, use to distinguish themselves or to talk among themselves.
There are many kinds of "known" slang: police slang, music slang (hip hop slang, jazz slang, rock-and-roll
slang...), lawyers slang, etc.
Another thing about slang is that, while talking normally you have words for everything, with slang you only
have words for things which are very closely connected with the kind of people who use slang. For example: hip
hop slang has many words connected with drugs, sex, money, cars, rap, etc. Yet it also has words which let you
use it almost as a dialect, that is, it has its nice side. Yet if you use lawyer slang you are more likely to find words
related to robberies, car accidents, homicides, etc., which aren't used in the everyday talk.
This could be a brief glossary of hip hop slang:
Hip hop slang
Normal English
Are you Anne's ace?
That boy's real bad!!!
Gimme some dead presidents
I'll take it with the five-finger discount
He's a geezer, just like you!
The hawk's really blowin'
She's got so much ice
They drink a lot of juice
She's a real knocka
We're havin' a lime at my house
He's a madhatter
I'm doing nuttin
Her bussiness is on swo
He'll get pep
He has a new ride
He stepped to Liz
He 'as his own tag
He'll probably be upstairs by now
He's gonna wet Mark
He's zooted
Are you Anne's friend?
That boy's really good!!!
Give me some US paper money
I'll steal it
He's a man, just like you!
The wind is really blowing hard
She's got so many diamonds
They drink a lot of alcohol
She's a really nasty person
We're having a family gathering in my house
He's a drug dealer
I'm doing nothing
Her bussiness is getting bigger
He'll get beat up
He has a new car
He confronted Liz
He has his own graffiti artist's trademark
He'll be in heaven now
He's gonna shoot Mark
He's on drugs
This brief glossary shows the good and the bad side of hip hop slang. It also shows how rich a slang can get and how
it is influenced by the people who speak it, for hip hop slang was born in the Bronx in New York City and it certainly has
many words concerning the ghetto life, but as it has extended through the world, new words for different things which
don't concern the ghetto life have gotten into the vocabulary.
British Street Slang
British slang is forever changing and evolving due to factors such as film, music and popular culture and now, more
than ever, it is under an American influence. Phrases go in and out of fashion; what was last week 'buzz word' will be forgotten and replaced the next. Phrases I used in my teens would be considered incredibly outdated now. Futhermore, there
is constant competition between friends to come up with more and more obscure phrases.
Two extremely recent additions to British slang are 'roon' and 'chav.' The word 'roon' means cigarette. (You may have
seen the word 'fag' which is also slang for a cigarette.) It is derived form the British football player Wayne Rooney who
was under criticism for his unhealthy lifestyle. The word 'chav' can be heard absolutely everywhere in Britain, although it
only came into popular usage about four months ago and its origins are unknown. It is used as a derogatory term to describe sterotype, lower class youth perceived as uneducated, uncultured and violent, more than likely to have a shaved
head if male and to be a teenage mum if female. Their standard uniform is logo ladden sportswear and plenty of gold
jewelery.
A typical conversation incooporating everyday usage of slang might go something like this:
'Alright mate/ Hey man, how's it going?'
'Yeah, not bad. Have a butchers/ check out my new trainers.'
'Oh mate, they're heavy!'
'I know, I'm well chuffed with them. How's the Mrs?'
'Oh, we broke up. She was doing my nut in, I couldn't be arsed with it.'
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'Fair do's. Look, shall I give a bell later about tonight?'
'I'm not going out tonight, I'm skint and I've got to rewrite my English essay. My teacher told me it was a half arsed
attempt and I 've got to do it again.'
'Bummer man, you're going to miss a blinding night. We're all going on a bender.'
'Yeah, I know. Well, I see you later, have a good one.'
'In a while, take it easy.'
Glossary
Alright mate/Hey man - a common form of greeting. Mate or man is the equivilent to the Spanish "tío" or "íia".
How's it going - how are you
Have a buthchers/check out - have a look. To have a buthchers is derived from Cockney rhyming slang. Buthchers
hook- look. Check out is an American phrase popular in Britiain.
Heavy - cool, really good. Variations include 'wicked', 'safe,' 'boss' (Liverpool) among others.
Chuffed - extremely pleased
The Mrs - wife, but can be used in reference to someone's girlfriend. Variations include 'the other half, bird.'
Couldn't be arsed - cannot be bothered to do something e.g ' I can't be arsed to do my homework.'
Doing my nut in - to do someone's nut in is to annoy them greatly.
Fair do's - fair enough. Variation, 'fair play to you.' Used to indicate apporoval of someone's actions or opinions.
Give you a bell - to ring someone up on the telephone.
Skint - to have no money. Variations, include 'broke' and 'brasic.'
A half arsed attempt - when something is not done to a person maximum capabilty.
Bummer - an expression used when something bad happens e.g 'I've lost my favorite earrings!' Thats a bummer.'
Blinding - really good.
Bender - a long drinking session.
Have a good one - have a good time
In a while - a shortened version of the rhyme 'In a while crocodile, catch you later alligator,' meaning goodbye.
Variations include 'see you later,' 'in a bit' and 'catch you later.'
More slang in popular usage
Anyroad - anyway, used in the North of England
Ay-up - greeting, hello.Used in the Midlands and North of England
Banjaxed - broken, can also mean very tired. E.g 'My car is banjaxed.'
Bad mouth - to bad mouth someone is to insult them
Bang on - exactly, correct. E.g 'How much was that round?' 'Bang on €10.' To bang on about something is to talk
incessently and unintrestingly about something. E.g ' My mum would not stop banging on about the fact that I failed my
exam.'
Battered - very drunk. Variations include, 'smashed,' 'trollied,' 'tanked,' 'plastered.'
Chill out - to calm down or to relax.
Craic - fun.E.g 'We had great craic last night.' Or it can be used to ask what's going on. E.g 'Whats the craic?'(more
popular in Ireland)
Damage - cost. E.g 'What's the damage for this jacket?'
Dead cert - a sure, definite thing. E.g 'it's a dead cert Real Madrid will win the match.'
Eejit - idiot, fool (more popular in Ireland)
Faff about ~ to waste time, to mess about.
Fella - male person or boyfriend.
Guys - boys but is used for a group of girls aswell. E.g 'Hey guys.'
Rank - disgusting.
Round - used in bars and pubs. A round of drinks is the number of drinks bought. 'Who's round is it?' would mean,
who's turn is it to by the drinks.
Yo - a form of greeting.
FRANCESCA HODGE
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